Covaxin gets WHO’s emergency use nod

Covaxin gets WHO’s emergency use nod

04/11/2021

According to information released by the WHO, Covaxin was found to have 78% efficacy against COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries due to its easy storage requirements.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, welcoming the announcement, said, “This is a proud moment for the entire country.”

The WHO in its tweets on Wednesday said that the Technical Advisory Group, convened by the WHO and made up of regulatory experts from around the world, has determined that the Covaxin vaccine meets the WHO’s standards for protection against COVID-19; that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs risks; and that the vaccine can be used.

It added that Covaxin vaccine was also reviewed by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).

Dr. Krishna Ella, chairman and MD, Bharat Biotech, said, “Validation by the WHO is a very significant step towards ensuring global access to India’s widely administered, safe and efficacious Covaxin.”

Stalin gives incentive to medical workers

Stalin gives incentive to medical workers

₹196.91 cr. allotted to 1,05,168 workers

04/11/2021

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday launched the distribution of a special cash incentive to government and contract medical workers who helped control the spread of COVID-19 during April, May and June this year.

According to an order that the government issued in October, a total of ₹196.91 crore will be granted to 24,908 medical officers, 26,615 nurses, 6,791 health inspectors, 8,658 village health nurses, 6,083 laboratory technicians and 32,113 others.

Of the 1,05,168 workers, 34,396 are from the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine; 13,371 from the Medical and Rural Health Services; 49,908 are from the Directorate of Medical Education; 270 from the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy; 962 from the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (ESIC Project); and 6,261 from the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program.

Vaccination review

Mr. Stalin took part in a videoconference of all Chief Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to review the COVID-19 vaccination being undertaken across the country. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Officer on Special Duty in the Health Department P. Senthil Kumar, Tiruvallur Collector Alby John Varghese and Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam also took part.

One-time incentive for govt. workers acquiring higher qualification

One-time incentive for govt. workers acquiring higher qualification

Incentive to be granted on a maximum of two occasions during service

04/11/2021

Dennis S. JesudasanCHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government has issued orders for granting incentive in the form of one-time lump sum amount ranging between ₹10,000 and ₹25,000 to State Government employees, who have acquired higher qualifications after coming into service on or after March 10, 2020.

According to a G.O. issued by Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, for a Ph.D, the one-time lump sum amount would be ₹25,000. For a postgraduate degree or its equivalent and a diploma or its equivalent, the lump sum would be ₹20,000 and ₹10,000 respectively.

As per the operational guidelines issued in this regard the higher qualifications acquired by the government employee should help him / her in boosting the work efficiency.

“The incentive would not be allowed if a government employee had acquired the higher qualification on the direction of the government or had obtained it during the study leave.”

The incentive would be granted on a maximum of two occasions during the service of a government employee and there should be at least two years between the occasions, it said.

‘Not sufficient’

However, a section of the government employees is not happy with the announcement.

“The one-time lump sum would not be sufficient even to cover the expenses incurred for acquiring the higher qualification,” contended P. Frederic Engels, who is a teacher in a State Government school. The old increment system which prevailed prior to March 20, 2020 should be resumed, he said.

Manifesto pledge

The AIADMK government had in March last year discontinued the increment system for higher qualifications obtained by government employees. Though the DMK election manifesto said it would resume the old system, the government has now decided to give a one-time lump sum, he pointed out.

“Going by this G.O., an MBBS graduate, who is a medical officer in a primary health centre in a rural area would get a one-time lump sum of only ₹20,000, if he / she completes MS. This sum would not even compensate the fees he / she would have spent on higher education. This decision would only demotivate government employees from pursuing higher education," Mr. Engels argued

Sri Chaitanya students get 3 ranks in top 10

Sri Chaitanya students get 3 ranks in top 10

03/11/2021

Special Correspondent HYDERABAD

Three students of Sri Chaitanya educational institutions secured three ranks in top ten in the NEET results.

All of them — K. Shashank, G. Rushil and Suyash Arora — shared the fifth rank. They scored 715 out of a total of 720 marks. The students of the institutions also got twenty-one ranks below hundred and ninety-one ranks below thousand in open category, a release said.

Namakkal students make it big in NEET

Namakkal students make it big in NEET

03/11/2021

M. Pravin

S.A. Geethanjali

Staff Reporter NAMAKKAL

Two students from Namakkal have topped the NEET rank list in the State with a score of 710 out of 720.

S.A. Geethanjali and M. Pravin, both had enrolled at the Green Park coaching centre in Namakkal, and ranked 23rd and 30th respectively at the All-India level.

Another student T. Archithaa scored 705 out of 720 and bagged the second rank in the State. Ms. Geethanjali said she had not expected a State rank. Rigorous preparation led to the success, she said.

Attributing his success to regular coaching and effective time management, Mr. Pravin said he wanted to become a cardiologist.

He said that his focus on objective type questions from Class IX helped him secure the rank. Mr. Pravin hails from Sandaipettai Pudur in Namakkal. His father, M. Madheswaran, rents out construction material and his mother, M. Jaya, is a homemaker.

No T.N. candidate in top 20 NEET ranks

No T.N. candidate in top 20 NEET ranks

Six candidates score over 700 to take top slots in the State

03/11/2021

Special Correspondent CHENNAI

This year, no candidate from the State was placed in the top 20 ranks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test’s (NEET) merit list. The first candidate from Tamil Nadu is ranked 23 in the country.

S.A. Geethanjali, who scored 710 marks, shares the spot with M. Pravin, S.K. Prasenjithan and R. Arvind, all of whom have scored the same marks, but have been ranked further down.

T. Archithaa and M.B. Hayagrivas, both with a score of 705, will probably qualify for the second rank in the State merit list.

Medical education officials said they would wait for clarification from the State government on the reservation policy, before issuing a notification regarding admissions.

The minimum qualifying mark to be eligible for admission this year for the unreserved (general category) is 138, as against 147 the last year. For other communities, it is 108. Last year, it was 113. In 2020, the qualifying marks for the category was reduced to 134, during the mop-up round counselling for deemed universities, by the Director General of Health Services. It is possible that a similar scenario will pan out this year as well. This means that qualifying marks could drop by a few points.

With a total of 9,100 seats, including 1,560 in deemed universities, the State is comfortably poised to accommodate more students.

This could, to some extent, also reduce cut-off marks for candidates aspiring for medical admissions.

“Since we have 11 new colleges and students from other parts of the country will not opt for them, it is safe to assume that our students will take all 1,450 seats in the new colleges,” said R. Prasad Manne, who has been coaching students from under-privileged backgrounds.

Only when the Education Department releases the details of students who have qualified from government schools, will a clearer picture of their performance and eligibility emerge.

Wishes a happy Deepavali 2021 to all my Readers